An End of the Year Message from Israel

"These last months since October 7th are very hard to sum up. The war continues and hostages are still held in Gaza. We switched much of our efforts to war relief work for the first weeks of the war, delivering food and supplies to those who have been dispatched and soldiers. There were constant needs in the first month. Recently, as rocket fire has decreased, we have been able to resume in person Bible studies. Shabbat dinners and other efforts are along side providing aid and relief. People really need the fellowship and to be encouraged. We are hosting trauma seminars with a faith base to help people cope with practical tips and more to find hope and strength in the Lord."

"Every interaction these days goes deep quickly. Peope are hurting and need others. It's common to meet a stranger on the street who seems a bit confused or distraught and offer help, and they say they feel shaken to be alone. Would I walk them to a shop or home? We sit and talk. People's emotions are raw. We all know someone who was killed on October 7th. We all have family or friends serving in the military. It's such an important time to be available to people, listen and share and show God's love."

"The rise in global antisemitism is deeply concerning. Recently, so many people from other countries have stories of the rising antisemitism in their countries."

"The conversations and prayer times have been so meaningful. Worshiping the Lord together is healing and strenghtening for next things ahead." (END)

Meanwhile, I found a a contemporary check list of similiar characteristics, attitudes, and actions that preceded and led to the antisemitic actions that led to the events that occurred in WW II against Jews. They are marked with a check because we are seeing them again as if almost a carbon copy of former haunting events not so far in the past.

The dangerous rhetoric? ☑️
The scapegoating of Jews? ☑️
The blood libels? ☑️
Boycotting of Jewish businesses? ☑️
The verbal attacks in the streets? ☑️
The physical violence against Jews? ☑️
The political/diplomatic Jew hatred? ☑️
The cultural icons going anti Jewish? ☑️
Blatant discrimination against Jews? ☑️
Deafening silence from the world? ☑️

We have been here before.

David,
Honest question….
is there anything that a Jewish person or group could do that would merit criticism in your view?

Yep.

Could you elaborate or perhaps give an actual example?

I only ask because all the "checks” in the list could be applied to most people groups at one time or another, some being merited while others actual discrimination-

Again ftr, before the antisemitic accusations start flying, I love Israel and Jewish people but (for me) it would be a form of antisemitism to lump all Jewish persons in a monolithic group as tho they are all in agreement-

Why would such a soul searing emotional message from a dear saint in Israel cause such a question and comments to rise in you?

A host of reasons …

Well I'm not interested in that host. All I wanted was to share the heart and emotions of someone presently laboring in Israel.

Hi All,
I with docs here on this subject.
This antisemitism is unprecedented in recent times.
I for one cannot let this slide and everyone else can do what they please.
The ignorance around the situation in Israel is hard to fathom except to say that pro palestinians are under a delusion from the devil.The obvious is not obvious to them because they are married to a lie knowingly or unknowingly.
The enemy of anything good repeats the same lies over and over and we cant even bother to research them.
Lie 1:Genocide
Lie 2:Occupation
Lie 3:Apartheid
Lie 4:Zionism

Genocide:Their is no genocide going on just a country defending themselves.Their is genocide going on by Hamas however
Occupation:Their is no occupation of Gaza ,it was ruled by the Eygptians ,before that the British,The Turks and was never independant until the Israeli government gave left it in 1993/2005 in the misguided hope that they would rule themselves.
Apartheid:Their is no Apartheid in Israel,about 2 million arabs are full citizens in Israel and take up positions in the IDF,the political assembly and in the judicary.Their is Apartheid in Gaza and other Arab countries who dont allow any Jews to live.
Zionism:The most simple definition is Zionism is a movement to recreate a Jewish presence in Israel or that Israel a Jewish state has a right to be in the middle east.Most people believe that they do have a right to exist as a nation in the middle east.Zionism is a good thing.

So despite Israel's failings (like every country that ever was or existed)the fundamental truth is that Israel has a right to exist and has tried everything to exist peacefully and we have not seen this Anti Jewish hatred since 1930s Europe and the leopard doesnt change its spots,urs staff

No offense was intended, seems odd to need to make that disclaimer tho it’s not a problem for me to offer it -

I asked you this because I like your posts/perspective and generally agree with your positions as expressed here on SI. Likewise your posts have personally benefited my faith helping me grow in my understanding of how we are to walk out the life of faith in Christ alone.
This is something that I had been researching before 10/7/23 as I asked a couple of times here on SI for help with witnessing to Jewish/Israeli persons due to my Jewish Israeli friends that I hope to be an effective witness to for Christ -

And of course you are free to post things that are near your heart, even encouraged to,… tho this is a public forum and as such it is also equally within the normal usage of said forum to inquire regarding the disposition of the poster, no?

Again it is not my intention to frustrate you so much as to arrive at a better understanding of how a brother in Christ makes sense of all this as a Christian-

Thank you for your heartfelt response with what has to be me, since there is no one else that has posted on this thread - other than the OP.

Would you be willing to field the original question I had asked David ?

ftr, I’ve asked this of others and am trying to compile an aggregate of the replies, ultimately to come to an understanding of how what is happening, is happening…. if that makes sense-

/Genocide: There is no genocide going on just a country defending themselves.Their is genocide going on by Hamas however.

Occupation: There is no occupation of Gaza ,it was ruled by the Eygptians, before that the British,The Turks and was never independant until the Israeli government gave left it in 1993/2005 in the misguided hope that they would rule themselves.

Apartheid: There is no Apartheid in Israel, about 2 million arabs are full citizens in Israel and take up positions in the IDF, the political assembly and in the judicary.Their is Apartheid in Gaza and other Arab countries who dont allow any Jews to live.

Zionism: The most simple definition is Zionism is a movement to recreate a Jewish presence in Israel or that Israel a Jewish state has a right to be in the middle east. Most people believe that they do have a right to exist as a nation in the middle east. Zionism is a good thing./

Absolutely correct in my opinion staff. The MSM won't touch it.

Truth be told staff, I believe it even goes beyond Israel has a right to exist. It's a matter of what has God determined regarding Israel and the land. The heathen may rage and the kings of the earth imagine a vain thing but the word of God has already given us the answer as to the outcome.

/Again it is not my intention to frustrate you so much as to arrive at a better understanding of how a brother in Christ makes sense of all this as a Christian./

It didn't come across that way to me. It was rather that the grieving heart of the person who shared regarding the trauma and grief in Israel today was something you seemed to miss altogether. Instead, you asked me if there was anything a Jewish person could do that would offend me and could I perhaps give you an example. I appreciate what you have said regarding me and my posts on this forum etc. But like I asked you, how can a message of such searing grief and trauma and emotion cause such comments and questions to go off in you? You say you are trying to understand things better but I wouldn't go about it the way you did. To me, it came across like someone going into a funeral service and confronting the grieving family members with issues unrelated to what they are going through at the moment. To me, your response was cold hearted and more than a little callous in the face of tremendous suffering. There is no other way to say it. Whatever it was that went off in you that seemed to miss and ignore entirely what the person in Israel shared is not healthy in my opinion.

I only included the checklist at the last moment. Maybe it took away in your mind what the person shared in their message. I don't know. But in regards to the checklist, you ended up stating.

/Again ftr, before the antisemitic accusations start flying, I love Israel and Jewish people but (for me) it would be a form of antisemitism to lump all Jewish persons in a monolithic group as tho they are all in agreement-/

There is a suggestion in there that my inclusion of the checklist was antisemitic in itself.

So my original intent was to share a message from a person in the midst of very trying events in Israel. Maybe people would be more inclined to pray for her and the entire sotuation I hoped. But then I am asked,

- Is there anything a Jewish person might do that would offend me?

- If so, could I perhaps give an example.

- I'm also hit with the suggestion that my including the checklist might have been a type of antisemitism.

All this because of a grief filled message from someone in Israel? I've been told and studied the fact that the issue of Israel is divinely desgined to sift and test and expose the hearts of men. Perhaps this is a prime example. I don't want to get too preachy on that. But I don't understand what caused you to miss what the person shared. It isn't healthy in my opinion. I can't say it any other way.

Meanwhile, if we try we can work through anything maybe. If I'm over reacting or have said things wrong there is still hope for me I presume. But still.

Peace.

Hi JFW,
Is this the question?
"is there anything that a Jewish person or group could do that would merit criticism in your view?"

I personally have no criticism of Jewish persons or groups that merit criticism but others do I think,for instance many people criticize Bibi Nethanyahu and others criticize part of the unity government which Israel have at the moment.
Their is no problem having normal criticism of Israel or Jewish groups once its not a different standard of criticism from non Jewish groups.Its also very important who is doing the critique,for istance if it comes from left wing groups in Europe or the US or other western nations then automatically you know the critique is from a place that just wants the extermination of Israel.

So I would be interested in why you asked the question?your motivation if their is any?
urs staff

Again, thank you for your response…

I’ve noticed that there are and have been many issues facing Christians around the world that didn’t/doesn’t seem to get the same attention or concern for that matter as does the troubles in Israel. This is curious to me seeing how scripturally we are to be exclusively aligned with Christ & other Christians praying accordingly -

Likewise it’s been noticed how we can be somewhat tolerant of other peoples theology that may differ from ours but there appears (at least) to be a patented lack of understanding that leads to a deep seated offense when it comes to Israel and this is a curious matter of inconsistency (for me) wether here on SI or with the bulk of my research with friends, family, and clients.

(footnote for clarity)
As a barber by trade, I have noticed an extremely wide range of responses regarding Israel from those whom I serve, yet not so much regarding the plight of Christian persecution. This is odd to me 🧐.
Even amongst my personal Jewish Israeli friends (one of whom comes this week) there exists a gulf between how they view the situation. For example, the sister of one of my best friends is more liberal in contrast to her brother as she is not a fan of Bibi or his determined stance, whereas my friend is very much in support of him, his administration. Having the opportunity to observe how they handle that is very interesting to me in hopes of better understanding their respective positions.
Also regarding your OP, … no one else had responded and some time had passed so I felt it was ok to inquire of you without it being a lack of decorum-
No need to respond as I won’t press you any further on the matter and again hope you can understand my intention is exclusively in pursuit of the truth 🙏🏻

Thank you for your response. Of one thing you are right, mention Israel in almost any context and you may find you have opened a boiling cauldron of emotions and contrasting views. The issue of Israel does what no other issue does. I agree that is divinely designed to test, sift, and expose the hearts of men.

/This is curious to me seeing how scripturally we are to be exclusively aligned with Christ & other Christians praying accordingly -/

It's my opinion that if Christ is going to return to Jerusalem at His second coming and there are many prophecies regarding the eventual spiritual and physical restoration of Israel under Christ, then how can being concerned with events and issues stemming from Israel not be concerned with Christ?

But here I go. I willingly refrain from here.

Gee, I got a haircut the other day and she did a fine job but left it a little long. Is it wrong to ask a barber to go over it again and make it a little shorter. I usually end up too timid to do so. I'm serious or I maybe need to come to Dothan for a haircut. Are you available?

You and David both posted while I was still writing and had not seen either of them but it appears my footnote would serve to clarify the matter regarding your question ;)

It is very odd to me that some members of the body of Christ seem to have a disproportionate allocation of value towards unsaved Israel than other people, in some cases even fellow Christians. This is odd to me in relation to how the new covenant reads, as I can’t find a comparable parallel amongst the early church. So I inquire when the opportunity presents itself in hopes of compiling enough raw data to arrive at a common point whereby this inconsistency can be resolved (for me).

Your participation in this thread serves the point well as you have demonstrated a focus over the years on end times/rapture oriented posts, so I would factor that in to see wether it’s your predisposition towards these topics or your personal love of Israel/Jewish persons or if this somehow leads back to your allegiance to Christ and His body….
I’ve found that some of my better educated clients share a similar position to you and David, tho theirs is a more a political/cultural focus than one of faith and as such bears all the hallmarks of a "practical” secular disposition. That’s not to say yours or David’s position bears the same, rather they share some core tenants and it’s a curious thing to me how this occurs,… so I inquire when I can 🤷🏽”â™‚️
This inquiry has led to some very disturbing discoveries within the body of believers that have been inquired of… which I believe can pose serious problems going forward in relation to the greater ministry of the church to the unsaved world, tho specifically to Israel. This whole inquiry is the result my attempting to have a more refined approach to ministry, especially but not limited to Jewish persons. What I’ve observed is there seems to be a tendency to esteem one lost person over another based on their ethnicity and again this is grossly inconsistent with what the new covenant plainly states. So my inquiry is to arrive at a definitive conclusion regarding "how” this is happening in hopes of shoring up an effectual scriptural disposition where the spirit of the living God is not encumbered by my personal biases .

Ha! You can’t begin to imagine how your experience embodies the crux of the matter for me ”¼ï¸
firstly yes it’d be my pleasure to serve you 🙏🏻
Secondly, some people take it very personally and get offended while others would be hurt to know you didn’t feel comfortable to ask… there is a plethora of persons who pursue this craft, as such the experiences are varied. Perhaps that’s why there is such a loyalty when a client finds someone with whom they can effectively communicate. It’s like fried chicken in the south,… everybody can do it but each has their own personal taste and can lead to quite nuanced criticisms-

Now to the crux of your experience-
I’ve noted that my Jewish clients, while exceedingly gracious, are also by far the most particular regarding the service they receive. In fact, I can’t recall a single service I’ve ever performed on a Jewish person where I wasn’t asked to redo a part if not all of it…. this is irrespective of how far behind I am or how many others are waiting for their appointments 😂
It’s a cultural thing and initially it left a dent in my ego, tho later it served quite the opposite as I’ve found it to be a great compliment 😊
It’s been my experience that when a Jewish person finds a thing they value, they extract as much of the quality they can get regardless of the inconvenience. This is in sharp contrast to many other cultures due (in my mind) to the perpetual existential threat they live under since WWII. It’s a remarkable and otherwise unmistakable to behold.

Personally, I’m not a profit motivated person as the Lord owns not only me, but the business …as such I work for Him and He has been very kind to me even and especially when I fall short of what was otherwise expected. This is mainly due to me being distracted or getting into my flesh on an issue and harping on it for days on end 😔 there is a ton of testosterone in my house with only my wife to counterbalance (bless her 🙏🏻) this at times finds me going on rants at a perceived injustice and in many ways not living up to the faith I claim. It is something the Lord has been very patient with me on but has disciplined me publicly at times to the point of public humiliation tho He has always been faithful to restore His preeminent presence in the workplace, even when the lack of maintenance (on my end) lasted for a week or more.
Having said this, there are times when there have been palpable spiritual battles in my chair with an unclean spirit was hosted by a client, occasionally (tho rarely) resulting in a service being cut short and the client dismissed prior to conclusion of said services. I try to give people allot of space, just as the Lord does me, what they do with it is up to them but like you and most everyone else, I have limits on how far I can allow a thing to go. Having said this, it’s rare for me to shy away from potentially offending someone especially when I’m keeping step with the Holy Spirit which itself is not as often as could be possible if my eye truly remained singly focused on the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world-

Well now, I’ve said too much and am running behind schedule for what will be a full day of work 😅

Hi JFW,
Ok so let me reply as best I can in order so you can understand my position and others more clearly.

I am not drawn to the personal salvation of Jewish people more than any other race or country.Some people are drawn to certain people groups or countries or areas it has to be noted and this includes Israel.I am not.

My concern is for the Jewish people to have a homeland in the middle east and to live in peace as much as anyone can in this world .It is obvious that God has returned Jewish people to the land (although their was always a small presence) and it is also very obvious that the devil has worked tirelessly against their presence in the area.
Their is not as you suppose a tendency to esteem one lost soul over another and is not out of line with the new convenant.Israel gets mentioned more however because of its place in the bible and because of present news and because of the fullfilling of Prophecy and while this may appear that the souls of Israel are more important than other lost souls, its not the case.Israel as a nation though has a more important place than other countries.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating ,if Israel isnt important why is it being attacked by the devil through organisations and politicians and groups.
This can be clearly seen by who the devil uses to do the attacking ,leftist politicians and organisations who support the Arabs despite the Arabs hating everything they represent ie gay rights,women rights etc It doesnt seem logical for the left to support Arabs who bomb and kill indiscriminately except when you realize that they have a victim/aggressor narrative for every issue they want to advance such as gay rights or open borders.The devil is clearly behind this victim narrative not just when it comes to Israel but all issues and this is how he advances his kingdom.
So the key here as a Christian is to realize that some Christians are drawn to minister to certain groups or countries like Canada or Eskimos or Iran(come over here kinda of thing) and also Israel.Secondly Israel as a Jewish nation or entity is different than any other Nation.Thirdly it is clear that the devil is attacking the Jews like no other group and Christians offer protection against these lies not with arms,guns or bombs but by refuting the devils lies and exposing his schemes because we the Christians are the only people that know what we are talking about.We bring light where their is darkness not just by spreading the gospel but by telling the truth,this truth is that Israel is not perfect and may have the same problems other countries have corruption,greed or poor governance etc but their is no genocide,apartheid or occupation these are lies of the devil and they need to be called out,
If we do not call them out who will?
urs staff

Thank you🙏🏻
That definitely helps to better understanding and I appreciate your feedback:)

If I may ask, why would the devil choose to focus his attacks on unsaved people rather than Christians?
This, for me, gets us closer to the point I find baffling about these claims… perhaps I’m missing something but when I read the new covenant there’s not really a comparable argument that I’ve found, One that suggests the devil will turn from being against Christ and His bride, to an unsaved Israel …?
If the devil were to do this, what would be his objective?
I mean they already have and still do reject and deny Christ as the/their messiah and are looking for a primarily political one 🤷🏽”â™‚️

Hi Fletcher,

I hope that you don't mind if I converse with you on this too. I think that it's a very important discussion.

If I may ask, why would the devil choose to focus his attacks on unsaved people rather than Christians?
This, for me, gets us closer to the point I find baffling about these claims… perhaps I’m missing something but when I read the new covenant there’s not really a comparable argument that I’ve found, One that suggests the devil will turn from being against Christ and His bride, to an unsaved Israel …?
If the devil were to do this, what would be his objective?
I mean they already have and still do reject and deny Christ as the/their messiah and are looking for a primarily political one 🤷🏽”â™‚️

First off, I would point out that this has ALWAYS been the case with the "chosen people." No sooner had Israel crossed the Red Sea than people began turning away from the One who chose them. If you read through Exodus, Numbers and Judges, you'll see quite a bit of a nation that was quick to turn away from God.

In Judges, we often read the words "the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD" (Judges 3:7, Judges 3:12, Judges 4:1, Judges 6:1, Judges 10:6, etc.). After the years of peace experienced with a righteous judge in Israel, it was always followed by a period of people turning aside from the LORD.

In fact, in Judges 2, we read something interesting:

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Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim.

And he said:

"I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I WILL NEVER BREAK MY COVENANT WITH YOU, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?

So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.

And they called the name of that place Bochim. And they sacrificed there to the Lord.

Judges 2:1-5 (ESV)

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The problem was never with the LORD breaking his covenant with the people of Israel. Rather, it was always a problem the other way around. In fact, there is an interesting part written in the book of Judges shortly before God raises up Jephthah.

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The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him.

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year.

For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.

And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, "We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.”

And the Lord said to the people of Israel:

"Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”

And the people of Israel said to the Lord, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.

Judges 10:6-16 (ESV)

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In this passage, the Israelites once again cried out to God for deliverance. Yet, God pointed out this pattern to them. They were oppressed and cried out to God. He saved them. Yet, they subsequently forsook God and turned to idols.

So, in this passage, God tells them to cry out to those idols for help. He tells them that he will help them "no more."

Yet, in this, the people of Israel acknowledged their sins. They ask for deliverance. And, of course, they got rid of those idols and "served the LORD." Once again, this moved the heart of God. He could bear their misery no longer.

Why?

This is because of his covenant with them. While they could walk away from their part of the covenant, he would not walk away from his part when they returned to Him.

This is reinforced when Solomon prayed during the dedication of the Temple in 2 Chronicles 6:14:-42. Even during this gloriously remarkable point in the history of Israel, Solomon knew that a time was coming when the people would turn away from God.

At one point, he prayed, "If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers" (2 Chronicles 6:24-25 ESV).

Later, God responds to Solomon's prayer. He said:

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Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him:

"I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.

And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’

"But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’

Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’”

2 Chronicles 7:12-22 (ESV)

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So, even under the Old Covenant, there was a condition on the part of the people of Israel who were chosen by God. We often hear the words "if my people" but seldom remember the "IF." God will ALWAYS uphold His part of the covenant He made with the people He chose. The problem is that the people He has chosen do not always reciprocate.

Of course, this brings up the underlying question about that Old Covenant. Once Christ Jesus died and resurrected, was that old covenant forfeited? Was God released from His part of that covenant? At that point, did this special distinction of the Jews end?

Consider this little anecdote:

When I was an undergraduate student, I needed to sign a degree plan. I scheduled a meeting with my freshman college advisor. This degree plan is something of a binding contract between the university and the student. If they fulfill all of the requirements in that degree plan, they will be awarded their bachelor's degree.

Yet, something interesting happened while I was an undergraduate student. Shortly before my senior year in college, the university created a NEW degree plan. This changed several of the courses necessary to obtain a degree in engineering. There were a few courses that would no longer be needed plus a few others that would be required. Their goal was to reduce the immense workload for engineering students. Why? The old degree plan, often necessitated attending college every summer simply to graduate in four years.

Going forward, no new students could sign the old degree plan. They could only sign the new.

So, I was faced with a decision. Should I stick with the old degree plan or sign a NEW and BETTER degree plan? It was a difficult decision because I had already taken most of the courses required by the old plan.

In the end, I chose to sign the new degree plan. After all, the courses that I had already completed would still be reflected on my college transcript (along with the grades). Plus, it was possible that I could use some of those courses in lieu of a few upcoming course requirements.

I would argue that God has not negated the old covenant that He made with the physical seed of Abraham. That old covenant stipulated faith in God too along with a decision to not fall into idolatry. However, going forward, salvation could ONLY come through faith in Jesus Christ. The old covenant was not "annulled." Rather, it was obsolete in the sense that a new and better covenant became available.

In this sense, God is waiting for Israel to once again cry out to Him. Physical Israel STILL needs Jesus -- because salvation is not found in any other name. All of the early messages of repentance and salvation were preached to the Jews. Even during Jesus's earthly ministry, the call for salvation was directed to them.

Yet, that old covenant was not annulled. It was made to Abraham and his descendants. In fact, Jeremiah prophesied that God would make "a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah" (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Notice the distinction of Israel AND Judah? The Old Covenant was one of both faith AND a physical nature. The New Covenant -- a better covenant -- is based upon faith. It is available to the Jew and the Gentile.

Personally, I believe that the period of "great tribulation" will cause physical Israel to once again cry out to God. And, I believe that God will answer and save them.